Card index



May 7, 1935. A, BEST 2,ooo,657

CARD INDE X Filed June 27, 1953 A wu cwvtcm .Tbn flu zvn Best Patenta& May 7, l935 2,000,657

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE &000.657 cam) NDEx John Austin Best, Augus & G. I Application June 27, 1933, Serial No. 677301 8 (Ci. 129- -I6) My present invention relates generally to card Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through indexes and the like and more particularly to a card index embodying my invention'. index cards and sheets of that type having cer- Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary face views tain structural characteristics adapted to coshowing portions of cards having a different aroperate with portions of a container or holder in rangement of p r i wi re p to 5 such manner as to permit of support of certain' ure 1. i i of the cards in ofl'set relation whereby portions Figures 4 and 5 are s milar iews Showing xof all such cards will be visible. tension of the perforations across the entire It has been before proposed to .employ slotted lower edges Of the r in Slightly difiel'ent or apertured cards cooperating with supporting arr g a d, 10 ribs and the like whereby the cards may be offi u e 6 s a ce View of t l another modset either vertically or horizontally with respect ified form of card. to one another, and in its most simple form this Referring w to these figures, my invention arrangement involves slotting or perforating the contemplates an index card which, for the purcards or sheets along the lower edges thereof for P f 'd ofisetting, has ri of pe 15 horizontal ofisetting and along the side edges ions, in the at Of p i s or slots, alon thereof for vertical offsettng. Since horizontal one e e o Since th ot ar intend offsetting in this arrangement exposes only one to engge guides and to'be Supported y virtue side edge of the next card, it has been proposed of such engagement, it is obvious the series 'of go to cut away comer portions of the cards in order slots must include at least two spaced' groups, to more easily read the exposed indicia, but this each p, in turn, includ at least O slotspractice has its disadvantages and it is, generally Thus, referring particularly t F u 1, I have speaking, the primary object of my inventio t shown an index including a holder in the form of combine the advantages of verti al and horia box o, in the bottom of which is a lining plate 2 zontal offsetting, and at the same time eliminate having at spaeed points Parallel, p di g the present disadvantages of horizontal ofisetpp n ribs ll The Cards and ting. shown within the box o, in this figure, have It is, of course, an important, o ider ti i series of perforations in their 'lower edges, in the card indexes and the like to be able to shift cero m of sl ts, a ran d in two p of which 0 tain cards with respect to the others so that, by t s ots S. ll d !8 of each roup p s their relative positions, all shifted cards throughy in s in d p r ht to left, it bein out the index, indicating various instances of noted that the slots are punched throu the special attention, may be easily picked ut cards, so that ifthe latter are turned around,

, Among such matters requiring special attenti the slots will be reversed. This, it will be further may be mentioned those having to d with noted, isalso true of-all the cards or sheets here- 35 prompt or special service, preferred patrons, deinafter mentoned. linquents and many others including geographi- 'Since the slots of correspondi depth Of the cal and other sub-divisions of indexed data. two r p ar p d apart i accordance With' As above stated it has been proposed t bring the spacing of the ribs l2, it is obvious that three 40 about either Vertical or horizontal offsetting by cards may thus be positioned, as shown i 40 slots or apertures in the sides and lower edges of e at t e VertCally Ofiset positions and Will the cards, and it is among the m t i t t be similarly offset laterally or horizontally at objects of myinvention to bring about both the Same time-t vertical "and horizontal ofrsetting by perforatng While n F ur 1 I h ve s t d oups. of

the lower edges only, of the cards or sheets, or three slots o perforations, I m y us s many as 45 in other words provide for double oirsetting by desired, with the slots of h oup pro ressiveperforating only one edge of the card or sheet, ly increasng i depth from right to t i whereas the former system would require per reversed, from left to right'. This particular arforation of three edges, namely, the bottom and rangem ove may be varied as in Figboth sides. v ure 2 by placing the short slots Isa at the left 50 In order that my invention may be fully underof the long slots Isa with the intermediate slots stood and thoroughly appreciated, .I will now l'la at the right thereof, or as in Figure 3, where proceed to describe the same in detail with refthe' short slots lsb are positioned at the right erence to the accompanying drawing, which forms of the long slots lab, with the intermediate slots a part of this specification, and in which, I'Ib at the left thereof. Bearing in mind the de- 55 scribed adaptability ofthe cards to reversal, it

will be noted that the card of Figure 3 is simply the card of Figure 2 reversed.

Moreover it is obvious the grouping of three or more slots is not essential, since the invention in its most simple aspect lends itself to the use of two groups of two slots each, and it is likewise obvious that lateral offsetting may be extended, with but two vertical positions, by extending the series of slots across the entire lower edge of the card or sheet, as in Figure 4. In this figure short and long slots IS and alternate and by employng supporting ribs to coincide withthe spacing of alternate short and. long slots, it is plain that a plurality of horizontally offset positions may be effected.

Likewise, by repeating the groups of three slots in a series across the entire lower edge, as at 2I, 22 and 23, in Figure 5, a plurality of laterally ofiset positions may be efiected with but three vertical oflsets, and the same idea may as well be carried out with similar groups of four or more slots each.

As shown in Figure 6, it is also possible to utilize slots 24 in groups along inclined cuts 25 in the lower edge of a card, forming a series extending for the full length thereof, to bring about a plurality of lateral or horizontal offsets and a, similar number of vertical ofisets.

While at all times at least two spaced apart supports are necessary to hold the cards or sheets in position, it is apparent that with a very wide container a' support may be used, if desired, for each group of slots, and such supports may be increased in number to any extent, therebymaking it possible to offset both to the right and left and to visualize many card lengths at each turn.

It becomes plain from the foregoing that in the illustrated Construction and 'a number of other ways, a double oifsetting is brought about by the perforations or slots along the lower edge only of a card, and that these structural exemplifications of my invention may be varied on each card and that it is a simple matterto employ difierent cards in the same index, the cards of one form being used where sub-divisions are more numerous. I

It is also obvious that various combinations may be worked out by way of modification between the most simple two depth groups, and the structures of Figures 4, 5 and 6, and that the principle of my invention, as illustrated in connection with cards, may be readily carried out in ring and other temporary binders, the sheets of which will, of course, have perforations in the form of apertures instead of slots.

It is obvious, furthermore, that by virtue of the structure I have shown and described, I am able to carry out my invention without sacrificing any of the normal advantages of a card index, such for instance as the pivoting of the cards at their lower edges so that the cards of a subdivision may be spread at the top or opposite edges where it is desired to see matter thereon nct included in the exposed or visible portions thereof.

Having thus fully described and illustrated my invention, what I claim is,

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1. An index including spaced apart supporting members, and cards or sheets normally supported in the index on said supporting members, each card or sheet having means along one edge only for engaging said supporting members in all positions in the index, said support engaging means of each card being spaced apart both lengthwise of, and at right angles to, said edge, whereby the cards or sheets may be simultaneously oifset in two directions relative to one another on the supporting members.

2. In an index having spaced apart supporting ribs, cards having slots in the lower edge thereof to receive said ribs in all normal positions of the cards in the index, certain of said slots being deeper than others whereby the cards may be positioned at diflerent elevations and at different later-al positions on said ribs.

3. An index including spaced apart supports, and cards having lengthwise spaced perforations at the lower edge thereof receiving said supports in all indexed positions, certain of said perforations having' their support engaging portions at greater distances from the said edge than the others, whereby the card may be held in different vertical and horizontal positions on such supports.

4. An index including spaced apart supports, and cards having slots in the lower edge thereof receiving .said supports'in all indexed positions including spaced apart groups of similarly 'related slots, each group including certain slots deeper than others. s

5. An index including spaced apart supports, and cards having series of slots in the lower edge theref receiving said supports in all indexed positions including groups of similarly related slots in spaced apart relation, each group including certain slots extending a greater distance than others from the said lower edge of the card.

6. An index including spaced apart supports, and cards having series of slots in the lower edge thereof receiving said supports in all indexed positions, said slots being arranged in spaced apart groups of similarly related slots, the slots of each group being of 'varying depth.

7. An index including spaced apart supports for holding cards or sheets, each card or sheet having means along a single edge thereof selectively engaging said supports to-normally support the cards in all indexed positions, certain of said means being oset relative to one another and to said edge whereby selection thereof simultaneously offsets the cards or sheets lengthwise of, and transversely to, said edge, and prevents accidental displacement of the cards or sheets in all offset positions.

8. In an index, a series of index sheets, a pair of spaced members forming the sole supports of said sheets in all adjusted positions thereof in the index, the said sheets having means along one edge receiving the said members, certain of which means are offset relatively to one another lengthwise of and with respect to said edge whereby the sheets may be held in simultaneously vertically and laterally ofifset positions. 

